Compensating gate ram packer



28, 1956 A. E. WILDE 2,760,751

COMPENSATING GATE RAM PACKER Filed April 28, 1952 2,760,751 COMPENSATINGGATE RAM PACKER Arthur E. Wilde, Yorba Linda, Calif., assignor toShaffer Tool Works, a corporation of California Application April 28,1952, Serial No. 284,831

. 3 Claims. (Cl. 251-'--2) This invention is a sliding-ram type heavyduty gate valveassembly of the class commonly used in deep welloperations, particularly drilling operations.

It is an'object of this invention to provide. a ram, for suchassemblies, that embodies a novel packerhaving the capacity, incooperation with a companion ram, of making a complete shut off, thatis, meet face to face with the opposite ram to close the tool stringpassageway that extends from top to bottom of the assembly shell; or tomake a shut off by abutting against and sealing on an incidentallyinterposed section of well working appa ratus passing through the saidpassageway and be eifective on a circular or other cross-sectional partof the apparatus. known, is to safely, quickly and eflectively stop flowof liquid or gas along the outside of the interposed apparatus, or inthe absence of said apparatus, from said well or hole.

Further, an intent of the invention is to provide an elastic-materialpacker and a. carrying ram therefor and in which the inner or passagewayface of the packer is adapted to be forcibly compacted centripetally tomeet face to face with a like, opposed packer either to make adiametrical complete type shut off or to conform itself to the sectionalcontour of an interposed tool string or other apparatus in the assembly.And in this connection an aim is to provide a packer subject tocompacting movement to make the shut off following a closing movement ofits carrying ram, and especially to provide a hydraulically shifted mmin which the packer is mounted and is compacted by hydraulic pressure,preferably from the same source line supply fluid to shift the ram.

Also the invention provides a conformative packer in which there isembedded a flexible type of armor to protect the compactive wall portionof the packer from being destructively torn out by fluid pressure in thegate or by movement of engaged, passing equipment, that is, tools orpipe.

The invention resides in certain advancements in this art as set forthin the ensuing disclosure and having, with the above, additional objectsand advantages as hereinafter developed, and whose constructions,combinations and details of means and manner of operation will be mademanifest in the following description of the herewith illustrativeembodiment; it being understood that modifications, variations,adaptations and equivalents may be resorted to within the scope, spiritand principles of the invention as it is claimed in conclusion hereof.

Figure 1 is a horizontal, axial section of the gate (partly broken away)showing the rams making a shut OK on a square-section tool string part.Figure 2 is a top plan of a ram per so with its packer. Figure 3 is atop plan of an isolated packer with some of the armor plates in placethereon. Figure 4 is a vertical, axial section of a ram and its packer.Figure 5 is a vertical, axial section of the top segment of the ram toillustrate its armor The purpose of the gate assembly, as is well"hasa'semicirculafinner edge 32. v 'sists of a substantially halficirclesegment of rubber or plate, hanging hooks. Fig. 6 is an inside faceelevation of one of the plates.

The gate shell here includes a centralbox-shaped body 2 in which there'is a ram chamber 2c in which is. slidably fitted and guided a pair oflikeand oppositely'moving, block-shaped rams 33. The rams are preferablyhydraulically motivated and "have tail tubes 31 respectively attached todouble action pistons'4 arranged outwardly from heads 5 of "the shelland in which the'tubes reciprocate. q

, Motive liquid is supplied to opposite sides'of 'the pis tons asby'hydraulic' pipes 6 soth'a't the pistons and their rams are forcedinward or outward in the shell at will and in a desired 'rapidmannerwhen "necessary. Fig. 1 shows the rams 'as closedon 'a kellybarextending downward'in the shell. Ifthebar were notin theshll the ramwould meet face'to face diametrically by reason of the packersv new .tobe described- Each'ram has a generallysemicircular pocketSp, Fig. fromits top face 'do'wn*to a bottomflange 31 which The novel packer-conasuitable substitute conforming in plan, "Fig; 3,"to""tl'ie pocket 3p andrests on the flange 3 The packer 4 has around its top a relativelynarrow lip 4p, Figs. 1 and 2, for sealing upward against the adjacentinner face of the top (not shown) of the shell body 2, and this lip issustained by a complementary floating crown or ram part 3s of half-ringform in plan, Fig. 2. The floating crown sealingly accommodates whateveris in the gate, such as, for example, a well pipe, and the inwardlyoverhanging packer makes a full shut-oft when compacted inwardlyrelative to the floating crown by which pipe shut-off is made. Thepacker is solidly lodged between the part 3s and the flange 3 and has'aninwardly overhanging wall body 4w which is concaved as shown in Fig. 3,to a suitable degree and is capable of being compacted centripetally soas to be closed flat against the opposed and like wall 4w of the opposedgate when both are closed and make a complete shut off if no tool orstring part (X) is interposed in the shell passageway.

As stated above the ram is operated by liquid pressure and it isdesirable to inwardly compact the packer wall 4w by hydraulic pressurealso; though other means are within the principle of the invention tosecure this function. Therefore, liquid in the outer end of the pistonchamber of the shell is led through the piston tail tube 32 by way of aduct 3d leading to the contiguous portion (body 4) of the wall 4w, Fig.4.

From this it will be clear that after the ram has been forced to itsinward limit as arrested by an opposing ram or by a string section X inthe shell then the concave wall face 40, will, under the liquid pressurein the tail tube be solidly compacted diametrically from side to side ofthe ram if no part X is in the shell and between the rams, or will beforcibly conformed to part X if present, Fig. 1.

It is very desirable that means be provided in the packer 4 to protectit against being blown upwardly out of the shell in event of highpressure of gas or liquid from the well or well hole at which the shellmay be installed, and at the same time permit the compacting function ofthe packer. This protection is secured here by an arcuate arrangement ofrelatively free tooth-like plates 6, Fig. 6, having top-end T-heads 62which hook onto and are pivotally suspended by suitably spaced claws 3cformed on the bottom face of the crown part 3s of the ram. A collar 7retains the T-heads in landed position of their respective claws. Thetop ends of the plates are shown in Fig. 3 in their embedded position inthe packer, and Fig. 4 shows at the outer face of one of the plates abow 6b of the plate forming a window into which the rubber of the packeris molded and forms an interlock between the plate and the rubberpacker; each plate having such a bow.

It is understood that the inner seal-making surface of the packer isclear of adjacent metal parts so that rubber meets the opposed ram orthe interposed part X whenever the rams are closed to make a shut off inthe shell.

What is claimed is:

1. A compensating valve gate structure for well equipment, including: ashell with a bore for vertical passage of apparatus and laterallyopposite chambers leading therefrom, rams operative in said chambers andeach having a bottom flange and a semicircular pocket thereabove open tothe top of the ram, an elastic body packer resting on said flange andhaving an inner wall inwardly overhanging the flange for conformablyengaging and sealing on well working apparatus when presented in saidbore or on the opposite ram packer, and a semicircular crown embedded inthe top of the packer and entirely supported by the packer to provide afloating mounting for the crown, said inner wall projecting under thecrown for free deformation when in sealing function, and means forcompacting said overhanging portions inwardly relative to the crownwhereby to make a complete shut-off by the elastic packers.

2. The structure of claim 1 including flexible, reinforcing armormembers mounted on the top of the packer and pivotally attached to thebottom face of the floating crown.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein said means for compacting saidoverhanging portions is located on the ram and supplies fluid pressureto the back of said wall to force said overhanging portion inwardlyrelative to the floating crown to effect said complete shut-01f by theelastic packer.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

